Amazon scraps Tiger King drama

The Tiger King drama was inspired by Netflix’s docuseries

Amazon Prime Video has scrapped plans for its Tiger King drama series and ordered a UK original comedy-drama starring James Corden.

The news about the Tiger King drama was first revealed by Variety, which reported that the series, due to be produced by Imagine Entertainment and CBS Studios, may be shopped to other outlets instead.

The series was inspired by Netflix’s 2020 docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem & Madness, about zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic. Nicolas Cage had been set to star as Exotic.

It comes as Universal Content Productions and Matchbox Pictures gear up to shoot Joe Exotic, an eight-part series inspired by the same events in the Netflix docuseries, in Australia.

Based on a Wondery podcast, the series sees Kate McKinnon play big cat enthusiast Carole Baskin as she learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe ‘Exotic’ Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit.

It will premiere across three NBCUniversal platforms: NBC, basic cable USA Network and streaming service Peacock.

Amazon’s new UK comedy-drama, meanwhile, is written by Jez Butterworth (Britannia) and stars Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Melia Kreiling (Filthy Rich), Colin Morgan (Humans), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Killing Eve) and Samuel Anderson (Witless), alongside Corden (The Late Late Show).

Titled Mammals, details about the show are being kept secret, aside from this statement from Butterworth: “A good marriage is the most magical thing. In a world of eight billion, you’ve found the one who gets you, ignites your body and soul. Who allows you to grow and flourish. Who gives you the spark, the confidence to become you. You’re also never going to have sex with anyone else, ever, and then you’re going to die, and be dead forever.”

Mammals is being produced by Street Hassle in association with Vertigo Films and Fulwell 73, and directed and co-exec produced by Stephanie Laing.

Butterworth and Corden also exec produce, alongside James Richardson who created the series with Butterworth. Georgina Lowe is producer of the series and filming begins this month.